A walking tour during a visit to Shanghai is the most immersive way to experience the city’s rich history—riding around on a bus can often be limiting, as you may overlook significant historical sites. Moreover, without a knowledgeable guide, you might miss out on understanding the stories behind the historic buildings. Walking tours hosted by guides like Mr. Dvir Bar-Gal, who offers Jewish Heritage walking tours through the former Ghetto, provide invaluable insights into Shanghai’s Jewish history, making these tours essential for any traveler.

1. Huoshan Park

This charming park is located just opposite several 1920s housing blocks. Notably, it features the only memorial dedicated to Shanghai’s European Jewish refugees. Written in Chinese, English, and Hebrew, the small monument honors the hardships faced by these individuals after seeking refuge in Shanghai.

During your walking tour, expect an engaging history lesson covering the exodus from Europe along with stories of the “Righteous Gentiles.” These include a Japanese consular director from Lithuania, who helped hundreds of Jews escape to Japan, and Doctor Ho, a Chinese consular director who authorized travel documents for thousands fleeing Europe.

2. Chushan Road

Just across Huoshan Road is Zhoushan Road, formerly known as Chushan Road. This street once served as the commercial heart of Little Vienna, where numerous Jewish families lived in cramped conditions. Tragically, many families shared tight quarters, sometimes filling one room with as many as 30 individuals using bunk beds and makeshift curtains for privacy.

3. Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum / Ohel Moishe Synagogue

The next destination on your walking tour is the Ohel Moishe Synagogue, which underwent restoration and reopened in 2008. Originally built for Russian Jews in the 1920s and 1930s, it stands as one of the last two synagogues remaining in Shanghai, though it no longer holds religious services. The site also features an art gallery and an introductory video detailing the Jewish history in Shanghai.

4. Inside a Lane

The final stop on this enlightening tour brings you to a narrow lane with a small house, which was once home to Jewish families but is now occupied by Chinese residents. While living conditions appear little improved, with flats subdivided into cramped spaces lacking basic amenities, one can reflect on the struggles faced by Jews living in the Ghetto during 1941-1945.